Trails update:

The House and Senate budgets will be finalized by the end of the weekend, with February 20 being the deadline. This very moment is a great time to send a supportive note to members of the appropriations committees. Use this handy link to send to your delegate or senator if they serve on that committee. Click through, and if it works, then it works. If the form won’t let you proceed, they don’t serve on that committee and we’ll let you know when the right time to send a message is.

https://www.votervoice.net/BIKEWALKRVA/campaigns/90605/respond

Crossover:

House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore’s Vulnerable Road User bill, HB 920, will be heard in Senate Transportation this afternoon. It and its Senate counterpart carried by Senator Scott Surovell have flown through their first houses, so not much drama is expected for that nice update. Expect 2-abreast (SB 362) and the aforementioned SB247 to go before their committees next week. The house committees didn’t meet to hear bills this week with all the focus on the budget.

Virginia Department of Education considers changes to Driver’s curriculum:

Two public hearings took place this month, with information found here. This is a great opportunity to send messages to prioritize updating and focusing on bike safety, such as emphasis on changing lanes to pass and stopping for pedestrians.

From board member Travis Davidson:

I spoke last night. One other bicycling advocate from Roanoke, Barbara Duerk who is also a VBF board member, also spoke. About 40 people in total spoke, most of them were teachers.
YOU CAN STILL PROVIDE INPUT BY EMAIL.
Reminder is the topics are the SOL curriculum for Drivers Education and Physical Education. Obviously, bicycling has a tie into both areas.
I suggest you email your comments to both of these addresses:
instruction@doe.virginia.gov
vanessa.wignad@doe.virginia.gov
Please also consider sharing this option with others. I don’t expect we have many more days to get our comments in but no specific deadline was stated.
Brantley